Ayrshire Scotland Business News is provided by the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire. We publicise our members, and celebrate and report the wealth and rich diversity of entrepreneurial and business excellence that abounds here in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland. For further information e-mail Murdoch@eliteayrshire.com

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle

Monday, 24 September 2012

Charles and Camilla make Ladies Day at Ayr Racecourse a royal occasion

By: Iain Ferguson

AYR Racecourse was given the Royal seal of approval last Friday, when Prince Charles and Camilla in their role as Duke and Duchess of Rothesay visited the track.

[Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay unveil the plaque to name the Rothesay Stand.]

The Royal couple made the short journey by road from Dumfries House outside Cumnock to the course in time to rename the Paddock Stand as the Rothesay Stand and they watched the first four races there in the company of sponsors.

The Duke and Duchess visited the Hospitality Boxes and chatted to guests on the balcony overlooking the course. Charles took great interest and watched the races through binoculars.

After the fourth race, the William Hill Supporting Dumfries House Ayrshire Handicap, the Duke and Duchess made their way to the Winners Enclosure where they presented the prizes to the winning owner, trainer and jockey. The Royals then departed by helicopter.

[Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay enter the Winners Enclosure.]

Alan Macdonald, Chairman of Ayr Racecourse, was delighted with the success of the day and said: “It was a long time in the planning and everything went smoothly on the day.

“It was a real honour for everyone connected with the Racecourse that the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay took the time to visit the course and rename the stand. Its fitting that the day raised money to help fund projects at Dumfries House – a very worthwhile cause.

“After the rain on Thursday it was a huge relief to see the sun on Friday, and indeed Saturday. It made for a great atmosphere.”

[Pictured: Alan Macdonald, Chairman of Ayr Racecourse.]

Friday’s crowd was 5,100 – 400 up on last year – while more than 11,000 watched the Saturday action an increase of 1,000 year on year.

[Pictured; Two glamorous racegoers on Ladies Day at Ayr Racecourse.]

In addition to the racing there was another close contest – the final of the Ladies competition which saw each finalist who’s won a coin at a previous meeting pick the name of a horse from a tombola drum.

THE EDITORThe Editor of Ayrshire Scotland Business News is Murdoch MacDonald, a graduate of Magdalene College, Cambridge University, where his journalistic contemporaries included John Simpson, now World Affairs Editor with the BBC, and Alan Rusbridger, Editor of the Guardian. Murdoch MacDonald has been in the public relations industry and a freelance journalist and broadcaster for more than 35 years.He has handled the PR accounts of many top Scottish companies, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life, John Menzies, Kwik-Fit and Barratt Homes.

He has hosted his own family finance programmes - "£s, Pence and Sense" on Radio Forth and "Moneywise" on Scottish Television.He now runs Ayrshire’s top PR consultancy Fame Publicity Services.

Wherever you are in the world, no other public relations consultancy, PR firm or publicity company can offer you a better or more cost-effective worldwide news distribution service, combined with search engine optimisation techniques that will drive customers and qualified sales leads to your company's website.

Murdoch MacDonald is also managing director of the Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.Telephone: 01292 281498E-mail: Murdoch@eliteayrshire.com

Murdoch and his wife Lilian (pictured above) have written a book called "Phoenix in a Bottle", describing how they overcame alcoholism and are now, contrary to conventional wisdom, able to drink alcohol responsibly again. "Phoenix in a Bottle" is published by Melrose Books price £16.99 and is now available worldwide.Reviewing the book, eminent American addiction expert Dr Stanton Peele PhD commented:

“Phoenix in a Bottle is a modern version of The Days of Wine and Roses, and tells the true story of how two people who entered a period of desperate drinking stayed with one another in a close loving relationship, and emerged from their alcoholism able to drink responsibly again.

“Both a wonderful love story and a challenge to conventional wisdom about how people can recover from drinking problems, Phoenix in a Bottle gives people hope, and helps them to confront their own demons - alcohol or otherwise.”

And now "Phoenix in a Bottle" has been selected as a set text by a top American university.

“Phoenix in a Bottle” by Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald will now be required reading for all doctoral students in a psychology programme at Alliant International University in San Diego, California.

Alliant International University, headquartered in San Diego and San Francisco, California, was formed in 2001 by the merger of the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) and the United States International University. Alliant has 6 campuses throughout California and also runs programmes in Mexico City, Hong Kong and Tokyo. The California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant is one of the premier psychology schools in the US, and it counts roughly half the licensed clinical psychologists in California as its alumni.

Dr. Gary W. Lawson is Professor of Psychology at CSPP. He says: “I adopted Phoenix in a Bottle because the dilemma this couple struggled with and the questions they ask themselves are like so many others I have encountered in 35 years of clinical experience treating addictions.“However, nowhere in addiction literature have I seen these issues examined and explained as well as Lilian and Murdoch do in Phoenix in a Bottle.“I also recommend Phoenix in a Bottle to many of my patients as well.”

You can buy "Phoenix in a Bottle" by Lilian and Murdoch MacDonald online now direct from Amazon UK (click on book cover image below).